Welcome back, Cinematheque

This weekend Cinematheque, the UW program that shows films in 4070 Vilas Hall, begins its fall season with films from series dedicated to two very fine, very different directors. On Friday, Sept. 3 (7 p.m.), Cinematheque screens Rashomon, the unforgettable 1950 film by the great Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, about varying recollections of horrible violence. The Kurosawa series features highlights from the director's long career, including Seven Samurai (Oct. 15) and Ikiru (Oct. 22).

And on Saturday, Sept. 4 (7 p.m.), Cinematheque presents The Fog of War, nonpareil documentarian Errol Morris' devastating interview with former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara. The Morris series includes classics like Gates of Heaven (Sept. 25), about pet cemeteries, and The Thin Blue Line (Oct. 16), about the murder of a cop. The filmmaker visits the campus Oct. 21-22, and other Morris films will be shown this fall at Memorial Union and the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art.

This fall Cinematheque also has series about the Korean War, Italian comedies and 1940s noirs by Anthony Mann. As always, film lovers, Cinematheque is the place to be. For complete listings, visit cinema.wisc.edu.